John baldwin adams



' 1,629,42 1927' J. B. ADAMS 9 BUOYANT WEARING APPAREL FOR SWIMMING 0R LIFE SAVING PURPOSES Filed Oct. 4, 1926 Lil Patented May 17, 1927.

- wane JOHN BALDWIN ADAMS, 0F BERHAMPORE, WELLINGTON. NIEVI ZIlIlALAND.

BUOYANT'WEARING APPAREL FOR SWIMMING OR LIFE-SAVING PURPOSES.

Application filed October 4, 1926, Serial No.

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to buoyant wearing apparel for swimming or life-saving purposes and has for its purpose, broadly speaking, the provision of an. eliicient but simple and inexpensive device of the so-called jacket form.

v The type of device to which the invention relates more particularly is that in which one or more hinged buoyant members is or are employed to ensure stability when the device is in use.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a device of this kind which will be reversible (i. e. can be put on either way correctly), will have increased buoyancy while being of simple construction, and can be tied on the wearer quickly and yet in such manner that displacement thereof is prevented. The tying means are so arranged as to prevent the possibility of choking of the wearer.

A further object is to provide a jacket that will be applicable to any wearer, of whatever size or sex.

In order that the invent-ion may be more readily ifmdcrstood, reference will now be made to the accompanyingdrawings, illus crating one embodiment of the same by way of example and wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof in a spreadout condition.

One portion of the device shown, hereinafter referred to as the front portion to avoid confusion, consists ofan upper buoyant compartment 10 and. a lower buoyantcompartn'icnt 1.1 so connected thereto to be able to swing upwardly about the lower edge thereof when the device is in use.

These compartments, preferably with square corners as shown, may be made from one or more pieces of material, such as canvas, that may be waterproof if desired, and are preferably filled with kapok or other buoyant material.

Instead of material filling, however, the compartments may be inflated with air.

In the example shown the two compartments are formed from two pieces of material placed together and sewn at the edges 12 and also at a horizontal line 13 so as to form the two compartments 10 and 11, which after filling, are closed by sewing the top and bottom edges 14.- of the material employed. The two compartments might be made from a single piece of material folded 139,523, and in Great Britain June 15, 1926.

over and then sewn to the form shown or they might be made separately and then joined together.

Whatever the method of manufacture employed, the lower compartment 11 is always hingedly connected to the compartment 10.

The rear portion of the device consists of two buoyant compartments 15 and 16 corresponding exactly to the front compartments 10 and 11 respectively and connected thereto by shoulder straps 17. These straps may be separate onefrom the other or may be constituted by a single piece of material provided with a suitable hole centrally arranged and adapted to pass over the head of the wearer. from which the straps are made may be an extension of the material from which the front and/or rear buoyant compartments are made.

lVhen separately applied straps are employed they may merely be connected to the top edges of the containers 10 and 15 or may extend down to the seam 13 and the corresponding seam 18 at the rear. These seams are so positioned and the compartments 10 and15 so formed that the securing means for the jacket, in the form of a tape or tapes or draw-strings 19, lies or lie either in line with said seams or between said seams and a point not higher than the mid-point of the compartments 10 and 15 while at the same time engaging under the arm-pits of the wearer. By this arrangement thereis no tendency for the said compartments to swing upwardly about the securing means nor for the jacket a whole to ride up on, the body of the wearer, who is thus left entirely free from the risk of choking, while as the jacket is held down greater buoyancy is obtained owing to the upper buoyant compartments functioning lower on. the wearer. If desired further tapes may be used for this purpose.

The tapes or draw-strings 19, which may be in one or more pieces, are not left loose but are correctly positioned, either by eyelets or loops 20 or, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2, by tubular fabric members 21 secured to the upper compartments. While both these arrangements serve equally well for the purpose of positioning' the tapes 19, the use of the tubular members 21 presentsthe advantages of minimizing the risk of accidental detachment of the tape or tapes and of al- In either case the material upward movement of the ,jacket, the latter still has a considerable amountof buoyancy.

-Moreovcr, the hinged compartments swing 1 free to swing up and so protect the face'of" ,the wearer from bi'tolt en surface .water.

The prefc d form of tying is that indicated in Fig. 2. ,Plach upper compartment has secured in) it two guic ling loops 21 one of .which is shown broken away to thearrangement more olearly,.a i id the ,loops house pairs of draw-strings 22 and 23, one pair 22 being secured .to, say',1 the compartment 15 and being loose at the front forthe purpose of tying, and the second,,23, being u d {to th oth rare empar e i l Thus, no matter which way the jacket he put on tying can always be effected .in front of the wearer. Moreover, thisform of ,tying allows ,the jacket .to be fitted ,to any type of human figure.

It the buoyant compartments l0 and 11 and/or 15 and 16 are connected together by webs, the tapes may ;be passed through .the webs and tied at the side desired.

Such a web connection could .conyenient ly' be formed by providing two seams such ,as

13 when the compartments are made from two pieces of materialias hereinbefo re described though such web ,need not .be hollow for the passage of the tape 19 as implied above unless desired. If it is to be made hollow the edges 12 will be left- .unsewn where it is desired to formthe web, i. e. between the two seams 13.

Any other suitable connecting means between the buoyant compartments ,may be employed, while in some cases two or more buoyant compartments may be used side by side in place ofsingie compartments as above described.

Vhat I claim is 1. A reversible buoyant jacket device comprising two upper buoyant members, a lower buoyant member hingedly connected toueach of said upper members, shoulder straps connecting the said upper members, and means for tying said upper members so as to leave the lower buoyant members about their connections thereto.

2. A .buoyant'jacket device comprising two upper. buoyant members,.a lower :buoyant member l ingcdly connected to each of said upper members, shoulder straps connecting the said upper HICIIIbGI'S, means for tying said upper members to the wearer andhneans for positioning said tie.

3. A buoyant jacket device comprising two upper buoyant nienibers,a lower buoyant member hingedly connected to each of said upper members, shoulder straps connecting the said upper ,sn e mbers and tying incansronnected to said upper members to engage under the armpits of the wearer to prevent displacement {of the jacket.

l. A buoyant jacket device comprising ,two upper buoyant members, a lower buoyant m bo hi {godly connected to each of said upper members, shoulder straps connecting the said upper members and means for tying said upper members comprising tapes connected to the latter at points not higher than the mid-points of the sides thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. A buoyant jacket device comprising .two upper buoyant members, a lower buoyant member hingedly connected to each of said upper neinbers, shoulder straps connecting the said upper members, tapes for tying said upper members to the wearer, and tulnilarjguide members to receive said tapes.

A buoyant jacket device comprising twoupper-buoyant members, a lower buoyant member liingedly connected to each of said. upper members, shoulder straps connecting the said upper members, tapes for tying said upper members to the wearer and tubular fabric guides connected .to said upper members to ireceive said tapes.

7. A buoyant jacket device comprising two upper buoyant members, a lower buoyant member hingedly connected to each of said upper members, shoulder straps connecting the said upper members, and a pair of tapes connected to each of said upper members for tying the latter to the wearer.

8. A buoyant jacket device comprising two upper buoyant members, a lower buoy ant member hingedly connected to each of said upper members, shoulder straps connecting the said upper members, a pair of tapes connected to each of said upper members to tie the latter to the wearer, and tubular guides to receive said tapes.

9. A buoyant jacket device comprising two upper buoyant members, a lower buoyant member hingedly connected to each of said upper members, shoulder straps connecting the said upper members, a pair of tapes connected to each of said upper buoyant members, and tubular fabric members connected to said upper buoyant members to receive said tapes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name.

JOHN B. ADAMS. 

